When Miriam Richard enrolled her son in the French immersion senior kindergarten class at a St. Thomas elementary school, she never imagined he would be educated by a non-French speaking teacher.

But just days into class, an English-language substitute teacher took over the class.

Richard, who believes learning French is vital for her child for better opportunities and future success, is disappointed by the new circumstances.

“Parents, in general, are frustrated because they signed their child up for French immersion,” Richard said.

Jim Voir, superintendent of human resources for the London District Catholic school board, said there not only has been a shortage of French teachers across the Catholic board but also across the province and country.

“We and all the other school boards throughout Ontario are looking for French teachers,” he said.

The board has about three positions open, but that will increase to eight to 10 in a month of two, when retired teachers who have been filling in stop teaching.

“They’ve allowed us to bridge the gap for a short time,” he said.

Voir said the addition of about 571 more pupils this year has strained the system even though they hired 17 French teachers last year.

“Even with all the extra hiring, we are still short,” he said.

Voir said they have been approaching teachers with French qualifications teaching other subjects to ask if they would consider returning to teaching French.

“If there are any French-speaking teachers out there, we want to hear from them.”

An official with the Thames Valley District school board said the board had no unfilled French immersion teacher vacancies prior to the start of school during the last two years because of its recruitment strategy.

Sylvie Blais, principal of Cedar Hollow elementary school and former principal of Kensal Park French immersion elementary school in London, is part of a team of human resources staff and administrators tasked with recruiting French teachers.

“It’s always been challenging in terms of recruiting teachers with French qualifications,” she said.

For the past few years, members of the Thames Valley recruiting team have met with French students at job fairs across the region before they graduate from teachers’ college. After an on-site interview, they offer them a conditional offer of employment, essentially scooping them up before they even graduate.